The present invention relates to a peg hook for supporting a plurality of articles incorporating defined slots, and more particularly to a pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly enabling only one article at a time to be removed therefrom.
Blister packages and other carded articles offered for sale typically incorporate a defined slot which enables the articles to be mounted on a peg hook. The slots may be circular or elongate in the horizontal or vertical directions. The peg hooks serve the function of compactly storing the articles for sale and at the same time providing the prospective purchaser with a clear view of the front thereof. The peg hooks may be mounted at one end to an appropriate peg board, wall or stand (whether rotatable or stationary).
Unfortunately, the conventional peg hook permits the easy removal of not just the forward or leading article, but a plurality or series of the following articles as well. Thus, hit-and-run thieves frequently enter a retail establishment, grab with two hands a whole series of the articles on a peg hook, and, with a single movement, remove the entire series of articles from the peg hook in a fairly rapid operation. The thief may then either simply run away with the loot or rapidly conceal the articles and slowly withdraw from the retail establishment.
Clearly this type of hit-and-run operation can be prevented if the peg hook enables only the forward or leading article of the series to be removed from the peg hook one at a time. Thus, the thief must stand in front of the peg hook, making repeated hand motions in order to obtain a sufficient number of articles to justify the risks involved in the theft. The longer he must stand there removing the articles one-by-one from the peg hook, the greater the likelihood of his being noticed and apprehended.
The problem of pilfering from peg hood mounted displays is well recognized in the prior art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,501 (a coin-operated system), U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,300 (a key-operated system), U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,334 (using a close-fitting cage about the front of the peg hook) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,949 (using an undulating peg hook). Unfortunately, each of these approaches to solving the problem of pilferage has in one way or another defeated the very purposes for which the peg hook display is intended. Thus, the simple, generally horizontal movement of even the forward or leading article is no longer sufficient, and, in the worst cases, extraneous elements such as coins or keys are necessary to enable removal of article from the peg hook. For example, for undulations of the peg hook to be sufficient to impede pilferage the undulations must be so exaggerated that the removal of even the forward or leading article becomes more of an up-and-down motion then a generally horizontal motion on the part of the potential customer. Furthermore, if a series of the articles are loosely held by the thief, several articles can be forced past the undulations (with the several articles moving up and down as necessary to accommodate the undulations), although the number of articles which can thus be removed by a thief in a single swipe is minimized.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pilfer-resistant peg hook assembly which enables the removal of only one article at a time therefrom.
Another object is to provide such a peg hook assembly which enables a rapid and easy removal of the forward or leading article by a simple, substantially horizontal motion.
A further object is to provide such a peg hook assembly which is easy and convenient for the prospective purchaser to use and does not require the use of extraneous articles such as coins or keys.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a peg hook assembly which is simple and economical to manufacture, maintain and use.